Nigeria squad announcement: Four Arsenal and Chelsea alums in Super Eagles final squad for 2023 AFCON

The Nigeria Football Federation have announced the final list of twenty-five players heading to Ivory Coast for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, with four former Arsenal and Chelsea players part of the group. 

Hale End Academy product Alex Iwobi has been called up for the tournament and he is joined on the roster by former Arsenal U21 skipper Semi Ajayi. 

Chelsea's Cobham product Ola Aina and onetime Chelsea's longest-serving player Kenneth Omeruo are among the nine defenders selected. 

The aforementioned players were in the Super Eagles team that topped their group at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, only to suffer a shock 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the round of 16.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations sees the Super Eagles in Group A, alongside the host nation Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau., with the top two countries and four best ranked third-placed teams qualifying for the knockout stages.  

Nigeria will open group play at the 2023 AFCON against Equatorial Guinea  at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (Jan. 14), followed by a meeting with hosts Ivory Coast (Jan. 18) and conclude with a game against Guinea Bissau at the iconic Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on January 22.

Nigeria's 25-man AFCON squad 

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)
 
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
 
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
 
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Ifeanyi Emmanuel